Buoyant by their AFC Cup heroics, Odisha FC turn to their ISL aspirations as bottom-placed Hyderabad FC visits them at the Kalinga Stadium.
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC Match Details
Date: Sunday, 17 December 2023
Time: 20:00 (IST)
Venue: Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC Match Preview
Odisha FC became the sixth Indian club to qualify for the knockout round of the AFC Cup and the fourth side ever to do it in their debut campaign from the nation with a 1-0 victory over 10-men Bashundhara Kings in the final group game. Center-back Mourtada Fall scored the only goal in the match in the second match on his return to put the Kalinga Warriors in dreamland making it the fourth straight victory in the competition. The campaign will stick in the minds of everyone involved with Odisha FC considering the fact they were bottom of the group after the first two matches with no points earned. With time to go till they take the continental stage again next year, the Juggernauts will hope to make the maximum of their ISL duties so they can boost title chances domestically as well. Sergio Lobera’s team are placed fifth in the standings with six points away from the top spot after eight games. Odisha FC will face teams in the bottom half of the ISL table in the final four games starting with the last boys Hyderabad FC at home. They only managed a draw against Mohun Bagan even after leading by two Ahmed Jahouh’s strike at half-time in Salt Lake in the last match, hoping not to make the same mistake again.
With days going by, Hyderabad FC are fearing the worst of their on-field performance and their financial crisis which has been a huge factor for them this season. More players have left over non-payment of wages and the team is unable to come out from their disappointing winless run since the start of the campaign. The 1-1 comeback draw with NorthEast United after Petteri Pennanen’s strike on the stroke of half-time cancelled out Nim Dorjee’s unfortunate own goal was the fourth time the spoils were shared. Hyderabad FC have lost the rest of the nine games so far with increasingly likely they will remain bottom at the end of the year. The 2022 ISL winners will face fellow strugglers Jamshedpur FC in the final game of 2023 and may try to win that fixture to at least enter the Asian Cup break on a positive note. However, facing Odisha FC at Kalinga Stadium before that is a huge challenge with the opposition yet to lose a match at home in the ISL this season. The Nawabs lost this meeting 3-1 in February this year with a winning squad back then and also suffered a 2-1 loss against the Juggernauts in the Super Cup. Hence, Thagboi Singto’s team will have to hope for a miracle to secure their first victory of the season.
Recent Form (ISL)
OFC: DWWWL
HFC: DLLDD
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC Team News
Diego Mauricio received a red card arguing with the officials post-match at Salt Lake and will miss the home clash against Hyderabad FC. The Nawabs are without striker Jonathan Moya who joined the other two foreigners Oswaldo Alanís and Felipe Amorin in leaving the club midway.
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC Predicted Lineups
Odisha FC:
Amrinder Singh; Amey Ranawade, Mourtada Fall, Narender Gahlot, Jerry Lalrinzuala; Ahmed Jahouh, Puitea; Jerry Mawihmingthanga, CY Goodard, Isak Vanlalruatfela; Roy Krishna
Hyderabad FC:
Gurmeet Singh; Nikhil Poojary, Chinglensana Singh, Nim Dorjee Tamang, Manoj Mohammed; Sahil Tavora, João Victor; Mohammad Yasir, Petteri Pennanen, Abdul Rabeeh; Joe Knowles
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC Head to Head (all competitions)
Played - 9
OFC won - 4
Drawn - 1
HFC won - 4
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC Head-to-Head (ISL)
Played - 8
OFC won - 3
Drawn - 1
HFC won - 4
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC Dream11 Team Prediction
Odisha FC are expected to come out top against Hyderabad FC with their attacking prowess seems to be too much for the opposition’s defence, which has not conceded more than once on seven occasions, to handle.
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC Dream11 Fantasy Suggestions
Captain Pick: Ahmed Jahouh
Vice-captain Picks: Roy Krishna, Mourtada Fall
Others: Jerry Mawihmingthanga, João Victor
Our top pick for the OFC vs HFC Dream11 team is Ahmed Jahouh who has seven goal contributions (2 goals, 5 assists) in the last five games in all competitions. His teammate Roy Krishna has six goal contributions (3 goals, 2 assists) this season overall.
OFC vs HFC Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Amrinder (7.5)
DEF: Poojary (8), Ranawade (9), Fall (8.5), Jerry (7.5)
MID: Jerry (8.5), Jahouh (8), Victor (9), Pennanen (7.5), Knowles (9)
FW: Krishna (7.5)
Stay tuned to Fantasy Football for upcoming ISL matches.
